


This Familiar Feeling

by paperwar



Category: Natsume Yuujinchou
Genre: F/F, One-Sided Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-02-11
Updated: 2012-02-11
Packaged: 2017-10-30 23:11:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,007
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/337220
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/paperwar/pseuds/paperwar
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Taki loves cute things. So, as it turns out, does Hinoe.</p>
            </blockquote>





	This Familiar Feeling

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Qem](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Qem/gifts).



> With gratitude to enemytosleep, destinyislands, and Phredd for all their comments and suggestions!

"Ice cream would be great!" Taki beamed at Natsume and Tanuma. She stretched her arms up as they walked, letting her schoolbag bang against her shoulders. "It's so stuffy in class now. I almost fell asleep at least five times this afternoon."

"Are you sure that wasn't because you stayed up too late reading?" Tanuma raised an eyebrow and gestured at the book poking out of Taki's bag, not on any reading list at school.

"Maybe." She stuck out her tongue and poked his shoulder, which was why she didn't see Natsume stop in front of her. She felt a thud when she bumped into him, like he in turn was pushed just as solidly against someone else.

She didn't see anyone else. She met Tanuma's eye and they nodded, moving slightly to the side, enough to be out of the way but close enough should Natsume need help. He was already speaking in a low voice to whoever was there.

Natsume turned to look at her. "That's my friend Taki." He shook his head. "No... not all the time." He swiveled his head, clearly following the youkai. "She can't see you right now, Hinoe!" He reached out. To Taki it looked as if Natsume was pantomiming grabbing someone by their clothes.

A second later a lock of Taki's hair was tugged. She reared back. She trusted Natsume -- to the ends of the world and back -- yet it was still very difficult, after all, to bear being touched by something she couldn't see.

"Hinoe! Please don't do that. You'll scare her." Natsume reached a hand out again; she saw the muscles in his arm work as he pulled the youkai away. His face tilted as he listened, then he sighed. 

"Natsume?" Tanuma said. 

When Natsume turned back to them, his arm remained on the arm of the youkai. At least Taki assumed the youkai had an arm. "This is Hinoe," he said, gesturing with the other arm. "I know you can't see her... No, Hinoe, she can't!" He frowned. "Of course I'm not lying. Taki, tell her you can't see her, all right?"

Taki looked where she imagined Hinoe's face might be and said, "I'm very sorry, but what Natsume-kun says is true. I can't see youkai if they're not in one of my circles."

Natsume's arm jerked. "Oh, yes, that's her," he said. "Chobihige told her about your circles, Taki. She's heard of you." His head whipped back around to Hinoe. "Hinoe, stop it!" He tightened his grip. "Don't be rude." 

"What's she saying?" Tanuma asked.

"Oh. She wants Taki to draw a circle so she can see Hinoe." Natsume let go of Hinoe and crossed his arms, flashing a strained half-smile.

Taki was more cautious nowadays, but if the others were there, it would probably be all right. She nodded. "Hinoe-san, we could all go to my house and I could draw a circle there and then we can talk. Would you like that?" It always took her a second to remember to look at Natsume for a translation, and then back again to whatever youkai she was speaking to. It felt rude not to look at them, even if she couldn't see them. Would she ever get used to speaking to the empty air? People walked by to their left, their conversation audible murmurs. She hoped they weren't paying too much attention to her.

Natsume confirmed Hinoe's agreement. "I'm sorry we won't be getting ice cream now," Taki said. "Maybe we could go later." 

"That's all right," Tanuma said. "Now I'm curious, too. Though this person doesn't seem interested in anyone but Taki." He laughed. Natsume coughed but didn't say anything.

**

It only took a minute to draw the pattern behind her house, arms snapping into the movements almost without conscious thought, especially there, in the fields she knew best. She let the stick fall to the ground behind her. "Hinoe-san, would you still like to speak to me?"

The words were barely into the air when a form revealed itself, a slice at a time as Hinoe stepped into the circle. She looked human, as Taki suspected she would. She was tall, and older than Taki, and the kind of elegant that made Taki suddenly aware of how rumpled her school uniform was. An elaborate pin in Hinoe's hair caught the sunlight.

"Oh, look at you!" Hinoe rushed to Taki and grabbed her wrists. "You're so adorable!" She pulled Taki across the edge of the circle and took her hands. "You're as cute as Reiko!"

"Reiko?" Taki asked. She pulled her hands away, trying not to be rude. Hinoe's hands had been very cold.

"My grandmother. Hinoe was, um, very close to my grandmother." Natsume shifted his weight from foot to foot, looking down.

"Oh, really?" Taki smiled looked back at Hinoe. "Then you must know lots of interesting stories. How did you meet her?"

"Oh, that's boring," Hinoe said. "I'd much rather talk about you -- " She staggered back as a round furry body launched itself at her knees. "Madara!" she gasped, arms pinwheeling to keep her balance. Taki's lips quirked to see the elegant woman struggling; then she felt guilty for wanting to laugh. 

Natsume's cat -- and where had he come from? -- sat back on his haunches and smirked.

"Hinoe was a big fan of Reiko," Nyanko-sensei said, giving the words heavy emphasis.

"I just said that, Sensei." Natsume's forehead wrinkled. Taki was pretty sure the truth was somewhere between what both of them had said. Her curiosity made a surprisingly steady bulwark against the urge to swoop down and cuddle the cat.

Nyanko-sensei licked one paw and began rubbing his face. "No, she really, really liked Reiko." He winked at Taki, which was so adorable her arms twitched before she managed to control herself.

Once the urge for snuggles subsided, it clicked. Hinoe _really_ liked Reiko. Oh. Was that what they meant?

Hinoe made a noise somewhere between a sigh and a grunt. "Reiko was marvelous." She frowned and wiped at her eye. "But she's gone now. All we have left is him." She flung out a hand at Natsume and scowled. "But Natsume," she said, "why did you keep it secret that you have such a cute girlfriend?" She lunged at Taki again.

Taki, flustered, staggered out of the way. "I'm not his -- "

At the same time, Natsume said, "She's not my -- !" They looked at each other, blushing. From behind them, Tanuma chuckled.

"Really? That's wonderful," Hinoe said, surging forward. She was halfway out of the circle now, which had unfortunate visual effects. Taki coughed at the parts of Hinoe she could see; the youkai seemed to get the message and moved back so that she would be completely visible.

"What a pity we can only talk through this clumsy thing," Hinoe pouted. 

Taki shifted awkwardly; there wasn't really anything she could say to that. Her grandfather's book, sticking out of the corner of her bag on the ground, caught her eye. "Were there other humans you spoke to? Have you always lived around here? Did you ever meet -- "

"Natsume!" Nyanko-sensei shouted. "This is boring. I come to find you and you're talking to these idiots. I'm hungry!" 

Taki glanced at her watch. "Oh no! I have to go." She took a breath, hoping she wouldn't regret what she was about to do, and said, "Hinoe-san, I'd like to hear lots of your stories. Could we meet here tomorrow after school?"

Hinoe smiled. It made Taki feel like a minnow faced with a shark, but she straightened up and waited for a reply.

"Can't I just come home with you now?" Hinoe said. Taki noticed the youkai's fingers twitching. With a start she recognized the gesture; she did it herself when struggling not to pick up Nyanko-sensei.

"Hinoe! Don't be creepy!" Natsume took a step forward.

Taki, blushing, said, "I think it'd be much better if we just met here for now." It didn't matter, of course, where they met, as long as there was a circle. And of course Hinoe could follow her anywhere she wanted. But the illusion of control, even if a thin one, was important. She knew, these days, that youkai could be as dangerous as they were fascinating. Or even more so. 

"Oh, fine," Hinoe sniffed. "But only because you looked so adorable when you asked." Her hand darted forward to stroke Taki's head. Taki only sighed and started erasing the circle with her shoe, Tanuma joining her.

Natsume bent down and whispered to Nyanko-sensei for a minute. When he came over, he said, "Don't worry. Nyanko-sensei promised he'll keep an eye on her tonight to make sure she doesn't wander." He sighed. "Actually they'll all be drinking at Yatsuhara, but I promised him buns from Nanatsuji, so hopefully he'll pay attention."

She shrugged to cover her nervousness. "It's all right. Did she know your grandmother well?"

"I think Reiko-san was the only human Hinoe ever cared about," Natsume said. "The first time I met her, she was really upset to learn that my grandmother was dead." He paused from kicking dirt over the circle, face brightening, and said, "Not many of the youkai seem to miss her. So even though Hinoe can be" -- he looked over his shoulder -- "difficult sometimes, I'm glad to know her."

"I wonder if she ever met my grandfather," she said, and then bit her lip. "I mean, I know he wasn't strong like your grandmother, but..."

Natsume made an affirmative noise. "Your grandfather seemed to have gotten a certain number of things right, even if he didn't always know it. So who knows? Maybe they did meet." He smiled. "It'd be wonderful if she could tell you something about him, wouldn't it?"

**

The next day, Taki hurried home. After changing out of her uniform, she dragged a hairbrush through her hair and wondered why. When she got to the backyard, though, her steps slowed.

She'd stopped drawing circles with abandon. She rarely drew them at all now unless there was a good reason: Natsume in trouble, usually. Was Hinoe a good reason? She might be there now, watching Taki. Or maybe another youkai was. Any youkai could walk through her circle before Hinoe got there. Or even while Hinoe was there. Just because she had been close to Natsume's grandmother didn't mean much, in terms of security. There were no guarantees with the youkai. 

But Taki was her grandfather's descendent. She drew the circle. 

No sooner had she closed it and put her stick down than Hinoe strode into it. "I was waiting!" she cooed. "You look so cute today! Much cuter than Natsume," she said in a confidential tone. "He looks just like his grandmother, but he's missing something."

"Good afternoon, Hinoe-san. How are you?" Taki said, trying not to blush.

"Oh, much better now," Hinoe purred. 

Taki was definitely blushing now. "What would you like to talk about today?"

"Me? I'd much rather listen to you talk." Was Hinoe posing? She was a striking woman, Taki admitted, but seeing her preening was almost -- almost -- more comical than it was, well, anything else. Taki smothered a giggle. Hinoe raised her eyebrow when Taki didn't reply, saying, "Just talk about yourself." 

Maybe if Taki explained more about her grandfather, then Hinoe would understand more why she wanted to hear about youkai and any other humans Hinoe had met. Taki shook her head to clear it, giving a brief summary of her grandfather's work, the circles, and the way she'd met Natsume last year. "And what about you?" Taki put on a beseeching smile. "Have you ever met anyone who might've been my grandf -- "

Hinoe pursed her lips. "Oh, no, keep going."

This was beyond ridiculous. And yet it was still a luxury to Taki, to be asked to speak and be able to comply. As much as she wanted. Here she could even talk about youkai, about her grandfather. 

"Okay," Taki said slowly. "I'll tell you a bit more. But then I'd really be grateful if you could tell me some things in return." 

Hinoe made a noncommittal noise and waved at Taki to get her speaking again.

She told Hinoe about helping her grandfather study, which meant asking questions so he'd have to explain what he was doing, which -- he said -- helped him make sure he understood it. She talked about how she didn't eat for two days after her he died and her mother had been on the verge of taking Taki to the hospital. 

Someday she wanted to tell Natsume and Tanuma these things, but she hadn't been able to yet. It was a relief to be able to say them out loud.

When the sun dipped below the treetops she gasped, "Oh no, I've got to go! It's almost dinnertime." She ducked her head awkwardly and said, "I hope that wasn't boring. I didn't mean to speak so much."

"Oh, no, I loved it!" Hinoe moved to the edge of the circle, making sure her face stayed within it. Keeping eye contact, she reached out and squeezed Taki's hands. "Do you really have to go?"

"Yes, I'm afraid I do," Taki said, face hot. She snatched her hands behind her back, hoping the way they trembled hadn't been visible. "Thank you for listening to me." She stepped back. Her head felt clearer -- Hinoe had a rather cloying scent of perfume about her. "You're not going to follow me home, are you?" 

For an instant, Hinoe looked irritated, then her face broke into a delighted grin. "Oh, your little angry face is so adorable!"

"Please, please don't follow me home," Taki said, wringing her hands. She thought she'd come to terms with the likelihood of youkai around her, unseen, all the time, but perhaps she hadn't. Or maybe it was just more unnerving to think of Hinoe spying on her when she was in the bath.

Hinoe grumbled, "If you insist."

Taki smiled then and said, "Good. Thank you. We can talk tomorrow if you like...?"

"Oh, of course! I'll be waiting to see your gorgeous face!" Hinoe said. "But still," she muttered, "I can't believe you got me to agree to that." 

Hinoe said good night as Taki swept away the first part of the pattern in the dirt. Taki sighed. She had a lot of homework to do, and there would be dinner dishes to wash. It would be hard to concentrate.

**

Taki and Hinoe met three more times, Taki frustrated by how little Hinoe would divulge herself. Taki started flirting back, or trying to. She told herself it was only in hopes that this would shake some information loose. It made her feel better about her awkward forays into a world of fluttering eyelashes and coy remarks, especially since she suspected she was terrible at it, a fact that depressed her more than she thought it would.

Then one day there was no Hinoe waiting in her backyard. She wasn't there the following day either. 

"Hm, I haven't seen her either," Natsume admitted when Taki hesitantly asked him about it. 

Taki smiled and made a little noise to indicate that it wasn't a big deal, and they separated to go into their classrooms. It was only that she had started to look forward to seeing Hinoe. She was kind of fun to be around. Something like that. 

After school there was still no Hinoe. Taki tried not to be too visibly distraught (what if Hinoe was watching anyway? Or what if something else was?) and went inside to do homework.

**

The next morning, Natsume said, "I saw Hinoe last night."

"Oh, really? Where? Is she all right?" Taki bit her lip before she could let herself ask if Hinoe had asked about her.

"She mentioned you." 

Taki couldn't help but flush a little at that. "What did she say?"

Natsume rubbed the back of his neck. "Um."

"What?"

Tanuma approached then, waving and calling hello. He looked from face to face and gestured for them to continue their conversation.

"Well," Natsume said, frowning, "she said..." He gave a little shrug and continued in a rush, "She said you're very cute but she got bored having to be in the circle all the time, so there isn't really a point to her going to see you." He looked down and blushed. "That was what she said."

Taki took a moment to absorb that. "Really?" Her shoulders slumped for a heartbeat or two before she swallowed her disappointment and forced a smile. "I've got my afternoons back, then. Maybe today we should go get a snack. We haven't done that in a while." Her face fell. "I'm sorry if I've been neglecting you." She wanted to take back the words the instant they left her mouth; it wasn't that she didn't mean them. She did. But it might be too much to say them. Perhaps the constant stream of words Hinoe coaxed out of her had made her careless. 

Natsume and Tanuma shook their heads in unison. "No, you haven't," Tanuma said. "Besides, you were making a new friend. Was she able to tell you anything about your grandfather?"

"No. She didn't really tell me much of anything at all." She scuffed her shoe on the ground and shrugged. "That's all right though."

Natsume touched her shoulder. "Maybe someday we'll meet another youkai that knew him. And then I'll help you speak to them. If you want, that is."

She smiled at him. "That would be wonderful. Thank you." 

They made plans to meet by the front gate after class. There was ice cream to be eaten. And Taki was sure that she'd been neglecting Nyanko-sensei; even thinking of him now made her fingers twitch with the urge to cuddle him. 

Still, it felt a little strange, after school, to be walking off with Natsume and Tanuma. She couldn't help but look around, as useless as it would be without a circle, as they left.


End file.
